Blue Moon

Valeriana hadn't thought that it would have worked when she kneed him. She had run up the stairs and started out of the house. She ran a little harder until she came to the edge of the forest around the house. It was pitch black and the stars weren't completely visible. She looked back at the house.

Why hasn't he come after me yet? Valeriana's compassionate side wanted to go back, but her mind was still trying to tell her to run. To get back to her family. Then why do I feel that this is bad?

She took a step back and touched the collar. Her neck still ached as she stepped back a bit more. She started to hear weird sounds from around the forest that made her question if she should be running into the forest. It was either dealing with the crazy boy in the house or dealing with what was in the forest. And both options didn't seem right.

She was about to step out of the circle when she heard a scream and an invisible force had knocked her off her feet, flat on her back. She gasped as the collar constricted around her neck and a burning sensation started to go through her neck. She put her hands to her throat, trying to pry the collar off, but her fingers couldn't pry the collar off.

Valeriana... His voice called in her mind.

The burning sensation stopped. The collar slackened. She blinked slightly, letting out a relieving breath. Though, why it had happened was a mystery within itself. She rubbed her neck, looking back to the house. Was that really him or just her imagination? And what was that?

She finally pulled herself up and looked back to the house. The silence was deafening and she had her chest build up in panic.

Why am I worried about him? He had me kidnapped and made to stay in a cage and collar. I should be heading home. Though part of her knew that traveling at night in the forest was no place to go to since she wasn't even sure where home was.

She was biting her lip, standing up and brushing off her back and legs. Her gaze stayed on the hosue as she started to walk towards it. She didn't want to go back, but she also didn't want to be running around in the middle of the night. She stepped back inside and saw no one, not Talen or anything moving or making noise.

Where is he?

The door was still open from where she had run out. She gulped as she headed toward it. Was it all a trap? Probably. But she needed to check. She headed down the stairs and he was on his back in the middle of the cage. He wasn't moving and it looked like he had passed out.

As she came closer, she saw the red marks around the collar on his neck, making her rub her own neck. She bit her lip and came inside, checking his pulse. She felt it and let out a breath of relief. He was still alive. She looked over at the shackles, grabbing one and putting it on one wrist. She didn't want to lock him up, but to keep the boy from going after her if she did need to get away, the more precaution, the better.

She got up and headed back to the main part of the house and searched for a bathroom. Hopefully, he had a medicine cabinet somewhere. She just had to find the bathroom. The problem was how big the house was.

Who has a house like this? Even her home at home was small for the 5 people who lived there. A three bedroom house on the outskirts of town. And all this room for one person was just mind boggling.

Focus. She started to check the doors around the atrium. One led to a storage closet. Probably where the maids kept their stuff. She hit another door that went no where. Though there was a door under the stairs and she jimmied it open. The bathroom.

Thank god. She rushed insdie and looked for the medicine cabinet in the dark for a bit before she flicked on the light on the other side of the sink. She wished she hadn't.

She saw the red mark on her neck about and below the collar. She gently touched the skin around it. It made her wince at the rawness of the skin.

"Damn." She shook her head, putting some of the hair in front of her neck as she opened the mirror to the medicine cabinet.

It was fully stocked, but Valeriana guessed that it would be if the maids had been helping to take care of Talen. Then why are none of them here now?

She pulled out the aloe and bandages while pulling out the medicine cabinet's items. She hurried back to him with the items in hand and gulping. She had very little experience while taking care of her brother, but she hoped that she would be able to help.

She came back into the cage and gently lifted his head into her lap and undid some of his shirt to move it away from the area.

Why am I helping you? Something caught her attention, a crescent moon tattoo from his sternum to the left side of his body. It looked like a cult tattoo being somewhat black, but blue through the middle of the crescent. She looked back at him. Who in the world are you?

Focus. Valeriana was realizing just how distracted she could get. She opened the bottle of aloe and bit her lip.

"This is going to hurt..." She whispered, even though she knew he was out like a light. She gently poured some of the aloe on his skin. There was a gasp and his eyes shot open, causing Valeriana to jump.

"What..." His voice croaked. Must have been really disoriented, but Valeriana wanted to put his mind at ease.

"Shh... Just rest. It's ok." He looked up at her, though it looked like he was looking through her. Though his eyes rolled back in his head.

She let out the breath she had been holding when he woke up slightly. She didn't think he would react to it. She started to finished with the aloe and set it aside. She grabbed the bandages and started to wrap it around his neck. She didn't do it too tightly, but enough that he didn't scratch at the skin when he woke up.

After she was done, Valeriana gently set him down and started to do her own neck. She put the aloe on her neck and winced at the pain. the burning sensation started to dull as Valeriana wrapped her own neck gently. After she pinned it, she looked at him.

"Guess I am stuck with you for now." She should have probably just followed her instincts and went back home again.

Why didn't I? Valeriana was confused by her own flitting judgments. She leaned against eh wall across from him, outside the cage. The irritation of skin was starting to bother her, but she watched, seeing him breathe deeply. That tattoo cam back into her mind. She had seen it before, but she wasn't sure where or what it meant.

The light fixture flicked above them and it was hard to tell if it was still night by the door at the top of the stairs. Valeriana pulled her knees close and waited for him to wake up. A man that had her kidnapped and chased her like a madman before locking her up. And here she was, helping him.

She had collected more questions than answers, but she guessed she had to wait until he woke up. Then she would get her answer. Or so she hoped as she watched him carefully and hoped that one way or another, this would end.